Still



Patented May ll, 1926.

UNITED STATES JACOB YOU G, 0F WINTHBOP, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEL.

Application led January 17, 1922. Serial No. 529,839.

This invention relates to a still especially adapted for separating a more volatile from a less volatile liquid by distillation, and the object of the inventio is to provide an apparatus by which a lilore complete separation may be effected than can usually be attained by a single operation of a still of simple construction.

While vthe still is of general application, it will for convenience be described in connection with the operation of separating a more volatile from a less volatile liquid.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a still embodying this invention; and

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 sectional details thereof on lines X2, Xs and X* of Fig. 1 respectively.

The retort or boiler 2 may be of anysuitable or usual construction, being adapted to contain the material to be operatedupon and to be heated in any suitable manner as for example by the burners indicated at 3. A thermometer 4 is provided to indicate vthe temperature of the material in the boiler.

The vapor rising from the heated material asses through the pipe 5 into a primary con ensing chamber 6, the construction of which is one of the distinctive features of the invention and will be described more in detail later on, said condensin chamber being contained in an upwardly inclined portion of the pipe, constituting a continuation of the pipe 5 and being surrounded by a cooling jacket 7.

In the primary condensing chamber 6, it is intended that only the less volatile liquid shall be condensed, and owing to the in clination of the pipe 5 50, it will be returned to the boiler, wh1le .the vapor of the more volatile liquid passes on 'as vapor into the pipe portion 51 which leads to a downwardly extending portion 20 constituting a secon ary condensing chamber which extends downward to a delivery' oint 52 through which the more volatile in kthe secondary chamber suitable receiver. 4 l i The pipe 5, 50, 51, 20, and condensing chambers' contained in, or constitutin a portion thereof, thus lconstitute a continu- .ous vapor duct from .the retort 2 to the contracted delivery aperture at 52.

. The secondary condenser comprises a cool,- ing jacket surrounding'the vapor' duct 20 flows into any and adapted to cool the same and the said vapor duct is provided witha longitudinal helical partition 22 which tends to give the y primary condenser 6 will b quid condensing vapor passing therethrough a rotary movement and to bring it more thoroughly under the eiiect of the cool wall of the duct than would be the case if the passage through the duct were perfectly free.

The jacket 70 is adapted to receive cooling -water through the pipe 72 entering at its side of the jacket 7 of the primary condensing chamber near the higher end thereof, being permitted to escape through the pipe l76 from the upper side of the jacket 7 but nearer the lower end thereof, the arrangement being such as to keep the jacket 7 completely filled with the cooling liquid'.

In operation, the liquid in the boilerl 2 is subjected to moderate heat which should impart a temperature between the boiling points of the liquids to be separated, but which will result in a considerable portion of the less volatile liquid being vaporized together with the more volatile liquid, lso that the mixed vapor will pass through the pipe 5 into the" primar condenser 6 which is only moderately cooved so that l*while effecting the condensation of the vapor of the less volatile liquid, it will permit the more volatile material to remain as vapor to be' carried through the pipe 51 into the secondary condenser-20, 70 where is will be con` densed and delivered as liquid from the-apparatus.

The less volatile liquid condensing in the j reason of the inclined position thereof, ten to low back into the'boller 2.

In the operation as thus far described, it is not possible or practicable lto maintain such temperature in the primary condenser as will result in the condensation of `the vapor of the less volatile liquid only, and a portion ofthe vapor of the more volatile liquid will lalso condense, and if there were nothing further than what has already been described, some vof.v itwould flow back with the less volatile 'liquid' into the boiler'2, and

moreover, a portion 4of the va rvof the less volatile liquid would be carrie over into the secondary condenser, and would. be c0nlno densed therein and discharged with the more volatile liquid.

Y tubular body 30 adapted to be introduced I on the aggregate area the foraminous plates,

into the inclined portion 50 of the duct,

-and provided with bai'lie plates 81, 82, alternately rising from the lower wall nearly to the upper wall of the tube, and depending from the upper wall nearly to the lower wall so as to form a sinuous passage for the vapor, through the upwardly inclined portion of the vapor duct constituting the primary condenser. L

In order to permit the liquid which condenses in the primary condenser to ow back along the lower side wall of the duct without having to pass over the upper edge of the baille plates rising from the said lower wall, the said baffle plates which rise from the said lower wall, or some of them, are perforated, or made of some foraminous material as shown, the result being that the fiow of liquid back towards the boiler is impeded and the liquid tends to accumulate to a slight depth at the upper sideofeach baiile late. p This construction'makes in eii'ect a series of chambers or compartments along the bottom of the primary condenser in which the liquid condensed in said primary condenser.

accumulates, so that while the still is in operation, there will be a small pool of liquid in each such compartment, on the upper or higher side of each baiile plate 31 'rising from the lower wall of the upwardly inclined portion of the vapor duct constitutin the primary condenser he function of the upper is to retard the flow of vapor and to direct it repeatedly towards the pools of condensate accumulated in the chambers above the lower plates 31. 4

The depth of each pool would depend upof the openingsin and by having said plates, or Someof them, imperforate for a certain' height from the lower ed es, as shown at 310the pools, or some o them, may be deep enough to have the upper baille plates 32 dip por will have to bubble through the llquid at one or more points. Y The temperature in the vapor tube or primary condenser 6 dueto the jacket 7 should not be below the boiling point of the more volatile liquid, and the result will be that while some of the more volatile liquid willH condense with the less volatile 1i uid, vvvthe condensed mixtureA will be retaine .un the receptacles and thus retarded on its way back to the boiler,

and while thus retained it will be subject to the action of the vapor balile plates 32` into the liquid so that the vaon its way from the boiler to the secondary' condenser, the temperature of which will be suicient to re-vaporize the more volatile liquid, the vapor of which will then pass over into the secondary condenser.

Thus whilevit is not practicable to make a complete separation of the more volatile from the less volatile liquid at the first boil# i ing, but a portion of the less volatile liquid will also be vaporized, and while it is impracticable at a sin le simple condensing operation to effect t e separation by condensing the less volatile material while leaving the more volatile inthe form of vapor, the repeated re-vaporizing action that takes place in the pools in the successive chambers of the primary condenser will be ei`t`ec-y volatile liquid which should pass through,

the primary condenser i'n the form of vapor.

The desired temperature in the cooling jacket of the tained automatlcally in accordance with the present invention as follows:

As before stated, the water' for cooling the jacket of the primary condenser is taken by the branch ipe from 'the discharge pipe 74 from t e jacket of the secondary condenser, in the action of which the water rimary condenser is main delivered at 74 may be brought to approximately the temperature desired in the cooler part of the jacket of the primary condenser.

The cooling eli'ectedepends to some extentupon the rapidity of flow through the jackets, a slower flow carrying away less heatand consequently causing the water to attain a higher temperature than when the ow is more ra id.

The acket of the primary condenser is controlled y a valve 8O automatically operated by a thermostatic couple 81 which 1s responsive to the temperature of the 'vaporpassing through the connecting duct 51 from the primary to the secondary condenser, at

which point the temperature may be observed by a thermometer 40.

Ifthe temperature rises above the point found to be most eiective at this place -in the apparatus, the increase in temperature of the thermostati'clcouple 81 will cause a wider o ening of the valve 80, and will thus bring about a more rapid flow of liquid through the pipe 75 and jacket 7 of the primary conow through the pipe 75 into the denser, thus reducing the temperature therepassmg through the conat the most etiective temin until the vapor necting duet 51 is perature.

It 011 the other hand, the temperature is too low so that an excessive amount ol the l more volatile liquid is condensed in the primary condenser the temperature in the connecting passage al will fall and by its action on the thermostatie couple 81 will cause a less opening ot the valve S0 thus permitting a less rapid flow of water through the jacket of the primary condenser so that its temperature will rise to the desired point.

Any other regulation that may be found necessary, due for example to dillerences in temperature of the water entering at 72 may be etlected by hand by manipulating the inlet valve 73 to provide a more or less rapid iniiow of the cooling liquid according as a lower or higher temperature is found to be desirable in the cooling jackets. 4 v

The vapor duct 5, 5t), 5l, 9.0 leading from the retort or boiler 2 to the delivery point 52 for the condensate, is continuous, and comprises an upwardly inclined portion containing the primary condenser followed by the downwardly directed part containing the secondary condenser, so that the condensate ot' the primary condenser flows backward to the boiler, while that oi the Secondary condenser flows forward to and out of the delivery passage, the separation of the materials taking place in the boiler and primary condenser.

Tlie vapor dust is shown as provided with a coupling or separable joint at 500, so that the primary condenser may be removed for cleaning, or for substitution by another hay# ing a modified arrangement, or proportion, spacing, and perforation, of thel plates, it the nature of the material to be operated upon renders it desirable.

The tubular body 30 of the primary condenser constitutes pratically a lining tor the upwardly inclined portion 50 of the vapor pipe leading from the boiler or retort 2, said primary condenser thus constituting or containing the portion of the Vapor duct which is comprised in the portion 50 of the pipe 5, 50, 51, 20, leading from the boiler 2 to the discharge outlet at 50, which pipe in its entirety has been referred to as constituting or containing the vapor duct.

What I claim is:

1. An upwardly inclined tubular chamber constituting a portion of a vapor duct, combined with a number of plates extending from the upper wall part way to the lower wall ot' said chamber, and foraminous plates extending upward from the lower wall in the spaces between said plates extending from the upper wall.

2. An upwardly inclined' tubular chamber constituting a portion of a vapor duct and having a, number of plates extending from the upper wall part way to the lower wall,

combined with foraminous plates extending upward from the lower wall in some of the spaces between said plates which extend downward from the upper wall, and plates in some of said spaces which are imperforate in their lower portion adjoining the lower wall of the chamber.

3. A condenser for a still comprising an upwardly inclined tubular chamber provided with baille plates extending alternately from the upper and lower walls thereof, and a jacket for cooling material surrounding said chamber. Y

el. A condenser for a still comprising a tubular chamber having imperforate baille plates extending downward from the upper wall thereof and foraminous plates alternating therewith extending upward from the lower wall, combined with a jacket for cooling material surrounding said chamber.

JACOB YOUNG. 

